Home for Horny Monsters - Book 8
Copyright© 2024 by Annabelle Hawthorne
Chapter 19: The Fae Court
Action/Adventure Sex Story: Chapter 19: The Fae Court - When the health of a beloved member of the house is threatened, Mike Radley must make difficult choices and embark on a journey that may change him for the worse. Also, there will be butt stuff.
Caution: This Action/Adventure Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Mult Consensual Romantic BiSexual Heterosexual Fiction Fairy Tale Horror Humor Paranormal Ghost Magic Vampires Harem Polygamy/Polyamory Anal Sex Cream Pie Exhibitionism Masturbation Oral Sex Sex Toys Size Violence
When Beth stepped outside the house, it felt like the whole world was holding its breath in anticipation. In the middle of the hedge maze, a golden arch had formed. Surrounded by glittering light, the portal itself looked like a pool of water suspended vertically in the air.
“Looks like our ride is here.” Beth looked down at Grace. The Arachne stood between her and Death, her unreadable gaze fixed on the portal. “You ready?”
Grace walked forward without them, a backpack made out of webs strapped to her back. Beth looked over at Death, who stared straight ahead at the portal.
“I am not ready,” Death replied. “I feel that the odds have been deliberately stacked against us. Whatever you may say to the Fae Court will fall on deaf ears and they will mete out a most unfair justice.”
“Yeah, well, we have all the evidence we need right here.” She patted her own bag. “Along with the grimoire, if things become difficult.”
Grace didn’t bother going around the hedges and just climbed over them. Beth and Death jogged ahead to catch up with the girl, each of them taking one of her hands to slow her down. Beth absolutely did not want the child to go into the portal before she did.
Stepping through the archway elicited the sensation of falling into a pool of cold water, only nothing was wet. On the other side was the interior of a tunnel that opened into what looked to be a coliseum of sorts. Cheers and jeers filled the air as the trio arrived at the opening.
It was the same Fae Court that Beth was familiar with from her last trip here, only it was far different in appearance. The small, stony island in the center of a pool of water was the same, but the risers had been replaced with an entire stadium. They were surrounded on every side with no discernible entrance save for the one they entered through. Up above, there was a circular opening that allowed whatever passed for daylight to illuminate the space.
In the center of the room, slightly backset from the middle, was a pair of thrones. One was shattered, the sharp edges long ago weathered into smooth surfaces. At the other sat Titania.
The Queen of the Fae wore a crimson gown that made her golden hair sparkle as if it somehow burned from within. She stood from the throne and bade them forward with all four hands, her features expressionless. The mere act of seeing Titania had once rendered Beth speechless. Now, though, it was a bit like looking into the sun with a pair of sunglasses on. As long as Beth didn’t look for too long, her mind remained sharp.
“Hold.” A being made of shadow appeared before the group, clad in spectral armor. “All guests of the Court must be searched.”
“Of course.” Beth unslung the bag. “But I need to warn you that the contents of my bag are metal, and may harm your body.”
“You would bring weapons of cold iron against us?” The spectre sneered and drew a blade.
“It’s evidence in our case,” Beth replied coolly. “The material in question is not relevant to its intended purpose.” She opened the flaps of the bag to reveal the cans inside. “To confiscate them would be detrimental to our case, thus ensuring that these proceedings are unfair.” Beth looked past Titania. “Which, I believe, would be in direct violation of the Treaty we have been accused of violating.”
“They violated it first!” someone shrieked in the audience. Beth didn’t even bother looking at who said that.
The shadow contemplated Beth for several long seconds, then looked over at Titania.
“What else is in that bag?” she asked.
“A book.”
“Is that relevant to your case?” Titania asked.
“It was suggested to me that the Fae may be interested in a potential trade involving a book,” she replied. When she spoke those words, most of the crowd noises stopped.
“Do you wish to trade such a thing now?” asked Titania, her golden eyes shimmering. “Perhaps for an acquittal?”
“The book in my bag in exchange for an acquittal of all charges levied against my client?” Beth shook her head. “Why would I trade something for nothing? Those charges are positively slanderous and lacking in merit. If the Fae Court wants the book in my bag, they have to offer me something of value beyond what I intend to collect from them on this day.”
“Bold words,” whispered a feminine voice in Beth’s ear. She shivered at the sensation of fingertips along her skin and turned to see a woman in a black gown with midnight eyes. Her skin was a royal blue hue that could only leak from the highest quality fountain pens. The woman leaned back in a regal pose, as if to allow Beth to take in the sight fully.
“Are you the one Callisto knew as Mara?” Beth asked.
The woman laughed. “I am indeed. How is the young mortal? Have you come to break my legs?”
Beth kept her face neutral as she sized the Fae princess up. Already, she had a strange compulsion to admit that Mara’s broken legs were on her mental list of demands to make. Technically speaking, though, Beth wouldn’t be the one doing the breaking.
She shook off the strange spell that had settled over her. The Fae could compel her to tell the truth, but they could not force her to speak. “I am the legal representative for the Radley family.” Beth stuck a hand in her pocket and pulled out the silver coin. “The Caretaker paid me a retainer to work for him, so here I am.”
The moment the coin was out, she felt it heat up as hundreds of Fae tested the strength of her contract in order to penetrate her mind. The metal became hot enough that it seared her skin and she feared that she might drop it. Would it still protect her? She thought it might, but didn’t dare let it slip.
“Enough,” Titania declared, and the coin went cool in Beth’s hands. “This relationship between Beth and the Caretaker is not currently in dispute. She is allowed to speak for the family.”
“But shouldn’t we all get a chance to verify her claims?” asked Mara with a pout. “Surely you wish for each of us to be sure. Isn’t experience the true teacher, after all?”
“If you wish, everyone is welcome to try it one at a time,” Titania replied. “Delaying these proceedings in order to test the veracity of her claims is well within your purview. However, having so many Fae focus on it all at once could cause more harm than has been done already.”
Mara frowned and saw that Beth had already pocketed the coin. She lifted up her hand to reveal that her fingertips were burnt and starting to blister.
“This seems like the definition of harm to me,” Beth said. “Which would be a violation of both our treaty and this Court. Have you brought me here to do me harm? Is this how the Fae Court treats people who have been invited here? Would that not be a breach of Hospitality?”
Mara laughed and extended her hand to touch Beth’s. “Of course not. Allow me to help.”
“In exchange for what?” Beth replied, yanking her hand back. “I would rather take compensation from all those who contributed to this injury.”
“I suppose we could do that,” Mara supplied. “However, they have chosen me as their representative for these proceedings. I am the Accusator of the Fae Court. If you wish, we could talk about what harm has technically been done, and then demand recompense from all those involved. However, I feel that the actions of singular Fae were negligible in comparison to the whole, and it’s entirely possible that individual compensation may fail to yield the value of the gift I offer freely.”
“And that is?”
“Let me heal your fingers,” Mara replied. “After all, when this is done and over, I want you to know that you failed even while trying your best.”
“Cocky, I see. I accept your gift.” Beth held her fingers out and allowed Mara to touch them. The skin knitted itself back together. At first, Beth thought she had been healed, but she was able to see how the magic had been woven. This was not a magic that sped up the recovery of her flesh. Instead, she watched as the burns seemed to play in reverse, as if time itself had been reversed.
Beth flexed and wiggled her fingers, then summoned her magic into each of them. She looked up to see Mara grinning like a devil, her mouth almost shark-like in appearance.
“Speaking of harm, I would like to let the accused and her legal team know that the time stream here has been synched with Earth’s,” Titania said. “There was some debate regarding this, but it was the Court’s decision that this was the best course of action.”
Mara smirked. “You’re lucky time isn’t moving much faster here. Otherwise, this trial would be over in the blink of an eye from your family’s perspective.”
“You really think you’ll win, don’t you?” Beth patted the woman condescendingly on the arm. “I bet that’s how your brother felt when he came to Earth to ambush a pair of children and got canned.”
Beth’s comment received several cheers and jeers from the stands. Mara’s facial features widened as if she were about to explode in slow motion. Beth smiled defiantly and turned away from Mara, knowing full well that any action on her part would be dealt with harshly.
They were the ones who had started this stupid game. Beth wasn’t just here to win. She fully intended to absolutely smash this place into the ground and leave no doubt in the Court’s mind that fucking with the Radleys was a dire mistake.
Mara snapped her fingers and the shadowy guard turned to face the Queen.
“That bag is bigger on the inside,” he said. “For the safety of the Court, I wish to confiscate it and ensure that the contents are as she claims.”
“This would cause a chain of custody issue,” Beth replied. “As it has been implied, this hearing is an accusation of guilt by the Fae Courts themselves. As an employee of the Court, this is tantamount to handing our evidence over to the prosecution and allowing them to make it disappear.”
“Are you suggesting we would tamper with your evidence?” asked Mara, one eye wider than the other. Beth heard the Court go silent in order to hear her response.
“Well, without having the proper opportunity to meet every member of the Court individually and discuss their personal history involving honest or dishonest behavior, I am merely erring on the side of caution in regards to upholding the responsibilities of my job.” Beth shrugged. “If the Accusator would like to grant me a personal guarantee as to the honorable behavior of every single member of the Court here, I would be open to negotiating the proper handling of such materials with the Court.”
The comment regarding a personal guarantee elicited cheers from some families and jeers from the others. With her knowledge of the Seelie and Unseelie being so divided, there were going to be people who would absolutely love to shove Mara onto her own hook. Sure, it may mean dismantling Beth’s primary defense and ruining the Radley family forever, but that was a small price to pay to destroy a political rival.
“Since the Court is so interested in seeing the evidence individually, perhaps I could just reveal the contents of my bag?” Beth flipped the bag around her shoulder and held it out. She wished Tick Tock could have come with them, but the outsider wasn’t allowed. The mimic would have been a perfect guardian for the bag. “I would be more than happy to show you everything now since you feel so unsafe.”
More cheers and jeers. This place felt more like a wrestling match than a courtroom full of immortal royalty.
“I will leave this decision to the Accusator,” Titania said. “It is my job to hear the evidence and proclaim judgement only. Such is the will of the Court.”
Mara seemed nonplussed by this answer, but Beth could tell otherwise. If she were to pull out all of her evidence now, it would prevent anyone from stealing it from her later. She and Death had deliberately spoken about the evidence outside of the house, perfectly aware that they were likely being watched.
“This bag only contains evidence?” she asked.
“And that book I mentioned.” Beth moved to reach into the bag and saw Mara tense up. Instead of pulling it out, she tilted the bag so that Mara could see the worn leather cover. The Accusator seemed to relax once she realized Beth wasn’t about to start casting powerful magic.
“Then I have no qualms regarding its contents,” she replied. “However, I wish to know what is in the child’s bag.”
Grace, who had been quietly listening this whole time, reached back over her head and shoved her hand into the spiderweb backpack. She pulled out a stuffed teddy bear in a trench coat.
“Pawpaw Cyrus,” she said, then hugged the stuffed animal.
Mara frowned. “Is this a joke?”
“Children in the mortal realm often carry stuffed animals as a means of emotional support,” Beth replied. “As she is a child undergoing proceedings that would be daunting for even an adult, it was decided that she could bring it along.”
“Does it ... do anything?”
Grace nodded, then turned the stuffed bear around and put her fingers in its armpits. She made the bear wave at Mara, which elicited some chuckles from the spectators.
“Is that all?” Mara asked. Grace shook her head, then deftly looped some webbing around the bear’s limbs and dropped it. Pawpaw Cyrus did a little marionette dance for the Court, which actually earned her some light applause and more laughter. Seeing this, Mara scowled and waved a hand dismissively at Grace.
“I’ve seen enough. She can keep the toy.”
Grace scowled at the Accusator while her back was turned. When people laughed, Mara turned back around to see Grace staring with a neutral face. The Fae Princess looked at Death now, her dark eyes moving to gaze at his scythe.
“As for you, this is clearly a weapon,” she said. “What is your purpose here? This is clearly intent to do harm.”
The Grim Reaper stared at the woman, the fire in his eye sockets changing from blue to red, then white. After several long moments, he turned to look at the scythe, milking the dramatic tension.
It wasn’t just for show. Beth was hoping that any delay could be used to buy Mike more time to return. While she still expected to keep Grace safe, she wasn’t entirely sure what might happen afterward.
“Do you speak of this, Accusator Mara?” Death twirled the scythe so that the blade made a full rotation. “Does it fill you with dread? Are you frightened of it?”
Silence reigned supreme as everyone eagerly leaned forward to listen. With the Court so large, it was hard to see any detail on the faces that were further back then the closest ring, but she could see that the spectators had brought picnics with lavish food along with servants who carried wineskins.
“I feel neither of those things,” Mara replied. “But fear is not the chief indicator of potential danger.”
“Death, in and of itself, is not dangerous,” he replied. “It is the natural order of things, and it is inevitable. People generally fear what comes after, not the act itself. You see, this weapon does not represent a threat, but a promise. One day, all of you shall feel its sting as I sever the threads that bind you to life.”
“He just threatened us!” somebody shouted.
“No,” Death shouted back. “I promised! If my grammar is better than yours after only a few, short years, then you have clearly wasted your time on asinine pursuits. What business do you have sitting on a Court that makes decisions when you cannot tell one word from another? Off with you.”
The Court erupted, finding absolute delight in Death’s rebuttal. The person who had shouted, a Fae prince with a crown made of wood, turned bright red and leapt from his platform, his wings fluttering as he hovered in the air. He drew a blade from his hip.
“You have no honor!” he declared. “I demand a trial by combat!”
“What I have is no fucking tea!” Death shouted. “For I have come to the Fae Realm as a guest and not a single one of you has offered me Hospitality! How dare you speak of honor, sir!” The Grim Reaper spun, his cloak fluttering dramatically. “If this Court wishes to settle the matter of Gracelynn Radley by a duel to the death, then I accept and shall battle on behalf of the Radley family!”
The stadium roared, the sound loud enough that Beth had to cover her ears. The Fae with the sword visibly paled as several members below him actually flew up to restrain him.
Beth moved close to Grace, her eyes wide as Death hammed it up for the rapt audience.
“What is this? Is this Court full of cowards?” He swung his scythe menacingly in the direction of the Fae who had challenged him. “It takes all of you to bully a child, but none are mad enough to stand against one such as me?”
Now other members of the Court were drawing weapons, incensed by Death’s words. Beth turned toward Mara and saw that the woman was positively furious. Seeing an opportunity, she turned toward Titania.
“Is this the Hospitality of your Court?” she asked. “Have we ever shown your people such unrestrained hostility upon visiting our home?”
Titania’s golden eyes flashed, and the coliseum went quiet. Those who had flown out to challenge Death fell from the sky like leaves, fluttering wildly as they crashed into the ground.
“As the neutral governing party in these proceedings, it is the job of the Court itself to provide Hospitality,” she declared.
“And since the Accusator represents the Courts, that should have been her job?”
“At no point was Hospitality denied.” Mara’s voice was smooth as glass, but the way her eyes slid across those on the ground indicated that she was nervous. “We were simply establishing that no ill intent was established before offering it.”
“And yet somebody challenged me to a duel,” Death declared. “For the simple crime of explaining how death works. Tell me, Accusator. Did enough of your people accept my challenge that your hand is now forced? If so, then I would like to set the terms of such a fight as is my right.”
Mara’s skin turned a pretty shade of blue that reminded Beth of a summer sky. It was clearly her version of going pale. A duel to the death with the Grim Reaper was an impossible task, and surely the Fae Princess knew this. “A very small majority of the Court have lost their temper,” she replied. “As such, their decision does not constitute a change in these proceedings.”
“What a shame,” Death replied. “To finish answering your earlier question about my presence here, I come to provide evidence and act as a proper witness. I also come as Gracelynn Radley’s uncle.”
The room remained silent, other than the groans of those who had fallen from the sky. Already, shadow servants were dragging them away.
“Her uncle?” Mara asked.
“Not by blood, but by choice. For I have accepted her as my own, as she has accepted me.” To emphasize his point, Death moved next to Grace and extended his free hand, which she took. “We are family.”
Mara pursed her lips, clearly trying to figure out a way to argue this point. When she couldn’t, the woman just shrugged and looked at the Queen. “I am satisfied that no harm is intended,” she said, then turned to Beth. “Would the Radley family care for refreshments?”
“We would, actually.”
Mara grinned and snapped her fingers. Another shadow servant came forward pushing a floating stone table full of baked goods and drinks. Beth waited for the table to come to her, then perused the contents of the table.
“Are you satisfied?” Mara asked.
“No,” Death replied. “For this table lacks sufficient tea.”
Mara frowned. “A kettle of our finest has been provided right there.”
“And what of the blend?” Death picked up the kettle as his scythe disappeared. A teacup appeared in his hands, pulled from a pocket in his sleeve. “You have given me no options. Is this an herbal blend meant to soothe? Is it caffeinated? One does not simply tell another what tea they are drinking. Rather, they offer choices. Did you know I wrote a book on how to properly hold a tea ceremony?”
“We have provided Hospitality—”
“And I find it lacking. You represent the Court, do you not? And yet, you cannot even properly host a guest.” Death sighed and poured some tea into the cup. “The quality of the Hospitality shall reflect the quality of the host, and I am not impressed.”
Beth fought to keep the smile from her face. It was clear that Death was trying to bait the Court into another reaction. To her knowledge, there was nothing the Court could do to actually harm him, and he was clearly taking advantage of it.
“Am I to understand that this realm has nothing good to drink?” he continued. “As a proper connoisseur of tea, I have consumed almost every commercially available blend on Earth. How am I to know that this isn’t something you use to stain furniture with?”
“It is not intended for staining furniture.” Again, Mara’s voice was strained. “It is considered one of our finest blends. It has been crafted of the breeze from after a spring storm with just a hint of childhood memories to sweeten the taste.”
“This is some child’s memories?” Death held out the teapot. “I demand you put them back at once!”
Somebody laughed, and the Court reacted. It was a combination of nervous laughter and genuine jocularity, but as long as nobody threatened to duel Death again, they were clearly free to respond.
“One does not simply demand that we return the flesh of a meal to the animal from whence it came,” Mara replied. “If you would like a different tea, then perhaps—”
“I wish to see a list,” Death said.
“A list?”
“Yes. Is this not the fabled Faerie Court?” The Grim Reaper was grandstanding now, spreading his arms wide and twirling slowly to look at everyone. “Do you not have access to every tea imaginable? I wish to see a list of what you have and choose from it.”
Beth heard a grinding sound that made her think of crushed gravel and realized it was Mara. The Accusator’s upper lip twitched as her teeth ground together.
“Surely you can’t expect a list of all of them,” she said smoothly.
“Oh. I was unaware that such a thing was beyond your abilities,” he replied.
Mara threw a glance in Titania’s direction, but the queen remained motionless like a statue. She turned her attention to Beth.
“Would you be willing to proceed with this hearing while we get Death his list?” she asked.
“No,” Beth replied. “I am only a representative of the family, who feels like insufficient Hospitality has been given.” She looked down at the table of food and noticed that someone had added a plate of gemstones. In truth, maybe she needed to scrutinize its contents better herself. “When the Reaper has been satisfied, we will be free to continue.”
Chairs were brought, and Beth sat at the table quietly with Grace and Death as a list was created. Her heart hammered wildly as the wait stretched from ten minutes to thirty, and then an hour. Nearly four hours passed before Mara approached the table with a scroll in her hand.
“These are the blends we have available,” she muttered through her teeth, then handed the scroll over to Death.
“Good,’ he said, then reached in his robes and pulled out a pair of gold rimmed reading glasses. He put them on somehow, then slowly unfurled the list. The Fae Court lost interest and chattered amongst themselves as Death read through the entire scroll. After nearly an hour passed, he took off his glasses and looked at Mara.
“Is this really all of them?”
She nodded.
“What kind do you recommend?” he asked.
“The kind I tried to give you.” Mara’s lips twitched and Beth heard that grinding sound again.
“Lady Bethany, they have a tea here with sunrise listed as one of the ingredients.” Death turned toward Mara. “How does one use sunrise as an ingredient?”
“The light is collected in a jar,” she replied.
“Fascinating. I see another tea that can only be steeped during a solar eclipse that occurs during planetary alignment. I think that sounds fascinating. I would like that.”
“WHAT?” Mara yanked the scroll away and started reading through it. “Where did you see that?”
“I can’t remember,” Death replied, then scratched at his skull. The Accusator’s eyes bugged out of her head as she went through the entire scroll line by line. After nearly twenty minutes, she looked up. “There is no such thing in here!”
“Oh. My mistake. This is what happens when your menu is too large. I would recommend keeping a list of four or five teas to offer at most, which I touch on just a bit in my book about tea ceremonies.”
Beth almost choked on the small sandwich she was currently eating, then took a small sip of water. The water here was the most delicious she had ever had. Every time she drank some, it felt like she had fallen into the arctic, and harmless ice would form on her fingertips.
Grace had settled on destroying a fruit that looked like a pomegranate. Its seeds flew like little bees, and buzzed when she chewed them up. On the table next to her plate sat Pawpaw Cyrus, who she kept offering cookies to.
“Which tea would you like?” Mara’s face had taken on a purple hue. “Hospitality has been offered, but your actions border on offensive behavior.”
“Offensive?” Death rubbed at his jaw. “Quite the opposite. Experience is the best teacher, after all. I would like some Earl Grey. Hot.” He held up a hand. “To clarify, I do mean the tea and not some man named Earl Grey.”
“Earl Grey wasn’t on the list.”
“Oh. Shame. May I see the list again?”
Mara clutched the scroll in her hands and the paper ignited. A small inferno formed in her hands and burned out in seconds.
“We have a wonderful blend made from moonlight and the frogsong of early spring. It’s. Very. Good.” That grinding sound was back, and Beth heard something inside of Mara’s jaw crack.
“I’ll have that,” Death said.
Mara spat out part of a tooth. “It shall be done.”
Shadow servants brought forth a pot of tea a few minutes later. As steam came from the spout, Beth could actually hear the distant croaking of frogs. The sound intensified as Death poured it into his cup.
“Would you like some?” he asked Beth.
“Sure. Grace?” When she turned to the little girl, the Arachne shook her head. “Just me, then.”
“You have been offered food and drink.” Mara folded her arms. “Enough time has been wasted. We are ready to proceed with this hearing. As Accusator, it is my job to relate to you the nature of the offence along with all evidence. The Court will decide if your client is innocent or guilty. The Queen will pass judgement. Do you understand?”
Beth nodded. “I think so. Tell me, what qualifies you as Accusator for the Court?”
“I was chosen.”
“Can anyone be an Accusator?”
Mara’s eyelid twitched. “In matters of the Fae Court, an Accusator is chosen by those who claim to have suffered harm at the hands of another individual, or even family. It is far simpler this way than to have a thousand thousand voices all shouting at once to be heard.”
“Okay, I think I understand.”
“Then we shall begin.” Mara turned to face the Court, and the ground beneath her rose up, forming into a stone disk. Even though she spoke softly, her voice reached Beth’s ears with supernatural clarity. “My brethren of the Unseelie and Seelie Court, today we bear witness to the crimes committed by Gracelynn Penelope Radley in a direct violation of a treaty established between the Fae Court by our Queen and the Caretaker, Mike Radley.
“While this treaty has served to expand the boundaries of the Fae land back into the mortal realm, this breach of trust is not only proof that mortals are not to be trusted, but it is also indicative that even the children of the mortal realm have become too dangerous for our survival. Those who claim to be our allies do so only until it no longer suits them. We of the Fae Court deserve better.”
Mara turned to point a threatening finger at Grace. The Arachne looked up from her snack, clearly unbothered. “This individual is accused of an unprovoked attack on a crowned prince of the Unseelie Court. My brother would be standing among us today if not for this child’s treachery. Years of hard work in trying to find a way for Fae and mortals to live in harmony have been sundered by her reckless actions.”
Most of the crowd was openly booing now. Some of them even threw objects that bounced off an invisible shield that shimmered gold with every impact. Beth frowned at the mess that accumulated around them.